Door closer



1, 1938. c E: M 7 2,106,926

' DO R CLOSER Original Filed July 30, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l m/"ZeaHammad Feb, 1, 1938. C HAMMELL I 2,306,926

DOOR CLOSER Original Filed July 50, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I amen torfM/Zes E. flmmezi Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT FFEQEOriginal application July 30, 1931, Serial No. 554,064. Divided and thisapplication April 21, 1934, Serial No. 721,750

6 Claims.

My invention relates to door closers and particularly to closers such asare used in the elevator art for hoistway doors and car doors or gates.

This application constitutes a division of my copending applicationSerial Number 554,064, filed July 30, 1931, (now Patent No. 1,966,445)and relates more particularly to a door operating means including a doorcheck and closer.

Closers of the above noted character are provided with fluid cushioningor checking means to cause the rapidly closing door or gate to bestopped without impact or slamming and the cushioning means is arrangedto be regulated by va device such as for example a needle valve.

It is now common practice to construct and arrange such regulatingdevice for adjustment from outside the cushioning unit but sucharrangement, as found from experience, is objectionable becauseit-invites tampering.

Hence one of the features of the present invention is to provide acloser constructed and arranged with the regulating means for thecushioning means concealed wholly within the closer casing so as to beinaccessible by any means whatsoever from without, which arrangement, inorder to effect regulation, necessitates partial 'disassemblement of thecloser and tampering is thus greatly minimized.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a regulating means ofnovel construction and arrangement which assures permanency ofadjustment.

An added feature of the invention is to pro- 'vide an electric switchwith an interlocking function in combination with a system ofinterconnected toggle levers for operating a hoistway sliding door andwith a cushioning means serving to support said system of toggle leversupon closure of said door in such manner that the system is brokenbeyond its dead center position, thereby effecting an increasedoperating stroke of said electric switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined closer andcushioning mechanism of novel construction and arrangement to cause arelatively quick start of the door from full open position followed byrapid acceleration to about three-quarter closed position, thearrangement being such that for such relatively long door movement thereis a relatively short and consequent slow movement of the piston in thefluid with consequent slight cushioning effect resulting therefrom, andduring the remainder or relatively short door movement to fully closedposition there is a relatively long and consequent fast piston movementwith consequent increased cushioning effect which effectually preventsimpact and slamming.

Other features will be obvious from the following description andappended claims. Referring now to the drawings, Figure l is a generalelevation illustrating the closer as applied to a two speed slidinghoistway door, together with a switch having an interlocking function,operatively associated therewith; Figure 2 illustrates the position ofparts with the door in open position; Figure 3 illustrates a sectionalelevation of the closer; Figure 4 illustrates va somewhat enlarged viewof the regulating valve; Figure 5 illustrates an instrumentality used toadjust said valve; Figure 6 illustrates the relative position of certainparts due to adjustment. The present door closer is applicable for usewith either a single speed or two speed hoistgo way door. The two speeddoor mechanism illustrated herein comprises the two door sections i and2, supported in a well known manner for sliding movement, by suitablehangers 3 mounted upon suitable tracks i.

Any of the well known arrangements of levers may be used as theactuating mechanism for the doors, provided they are capable of beingconnected in accordance with the present invention and the present typeis shown merely as 0 an example. The actuating mechanism hereinillustrated consists of levers, 6, l, and 8, the lever 6 being pivotallyconnected at 5 to the door section I, the intermediate lever i beingpivotally supported at H by the door section 2, 35 and the lever 8 beingpivotally supported at l2 by a bracket secured to a fixed supportingmember 13 which in turn is secured to the door frame by a studding orwall of the elevator hoistway. 40

In accordance with now common practice a switch mechanism 16 isoperatively connected to the lever B so that actuation thereof to openand close an electrical interlock car control circuit (not shown) isdependent on movement of .l the hoistway door. As a novel feature of thepresent invention a rod i5 permits adjustment til to cause the switch tobe open-circuited before the lever system is actuated sufficiently tounlock the door-sections and to be close-circuited 1;? only after thelever system assumes position to lock the door-sections in closedposition.

The switch mechanism per se forms the subject matter of another patentby applicant Num- -ber 1,866,563, dated July 12, 1932.

A depending lever l6 attached to the lever l and having a suitable handgrip I! permits manual operation of the door to open position againstthe action of the spring actuated closer mechanism designated l 8 as awhole.

The closer, cushioning mechanism and regulating mechanism comprise apiston l9 disposed within a cylinder 42, and having a cylindrical shank20 with interior screw threads 2| engaged by screw threads 22 at thelower end of a rod 23. Oppositely disposed pins 24 engage the shank andthe piston rod to prevent their rotation relatively to each other.

The rod 23 is adjustably connected by a socket 40 threaded to the upperend of the rod directly to the actuating lever 8 by a pivotal connection4|. It will be particularly noted that the axis of the pivotalconnection between the rod and lever is in line with the axes of pivotalconnections I0 and I2 of lever B, and is not above or below such line asin common practice and that furthermore this difference coupled withthat of providing a relatively long range piston movement as by locatingsaid pivotal connection 4| a suitable distance from the pivotal point l2for the lever 8, results when the doors are moving to closed position,in a piston movement which produces a very desirable and novelcushioning action which will be referred to more specificallyhereinafter, and which is not obtainable in similar devices now commonlyused wherein the point of pivotal connection between the lever and therod is not in line with the pivotal connections 10 and I2 of the lever,and wherein there is only a relatively short range piston movement.

A slot and pin connection 66 with the slot through the top of the rod 23for engagement by the pin, prevents unintended rotation of the pistonrod 23.

The cylinder 42 is sealed at the bottom by a plug 25 having acounter-sunk space 26 and a lug 21 at which point the cylinder ispivotally supported by a bracket 28 secured to the supporting plate I3.7

A hollow cylindrical cap 29 has at its lower end a screw threadedportion 30 to engage an interior screw threaded portion 3| at the top ofthe cylinder. The rod 23 is guided by the cap at the upper end H. A vent32 in the cap covered by a felt gasket 33 held in place by a metallicring 34 seated in the annular face of the cap, permits the escape of airfrom within the cylinder and the felt gasket prevents possible loss ofliquid from within the cylinder.

According to the present invention I propose to employ as a means toclose the door or doors, through the intermediary of the actuatingmechanism heretofore described, two helical compression springsdesignated 35 and 36. The spring 35 is a relatively long spring oflarger diameter but of a smaller gauge than the shorter spring 36 andthe latter is of the larger gauge and smaller diameter than the spring35. The longer spring 35 is interposed between the top ledge I36 on thepiston and the bottom face 31 of the cap 29, it being normally undercompression with the piston seated against the plug 25. The shorterspring is normally inert as when the piston is seated against the plugand is seated on the top face 38 of the shank 20. Both springs embracethe piston rod with the smaller gauge spring telescoping the large gaugespring. The pressure of the spring 35 may be adjusted by rotation of thecap 29 and to facilitate this operation the cap at its upper end mayhave a serrated surface 39.

The cylinder 42 is adapted to be approximately half filled with liquidsuch as oil, to a level which is indicated by a dot and dash line 44.

The lower end of the rod 23 is provided with a fluid chamber 45, theWall of which is provided with a series of ports such as 46. The chamber45 communicates with a fluid chamber 41 in the shank portion, by way ofa ball check valve 48 which opens downwardly and closes upwardly and apin 49 is provided for supporting the ball when the piston is travelingupwardly. However, when the piston moves downwardly the check valve willclose so that the fluid cannot pass through the chamber 45 and ports 46but it can, however, pass through by-pass ports 50 in the shank portionof the piston l9. The circulation of fluid through the ports 5|] isrestricted by an adjustable valve designated as a whole 5| whichregulates the size of the openings and in this way the cushioning actionis regulated. The valve together with a necessary tool to adjust sameare shown in perspective and somewhat enlarged in Figures 4 and 5respectively. The adjustable valve is in the form of a hollowcylindrical member having threads to engage with the interior threads 2|of the piston. The body of the valve member may be cut away as indicatedat 52, 52', thus forming upper and lower portions connected by the webs53. This construction permits the two lower sections to be formed with aslight outward flare which by its spring action maintains the valve as awhole in adjusted position.

A specially constructed hand tool, designated 54, see Figure 5, isprovided to properly adjust the valve 51, within the piston to regulatethe size of the port openings 50. This tool consists of a cylindricalmember 55 carrying at one end thereof a cross-bar 56. The other end ofthe member 55 is provided with a finger bar 51.

To make the adjustment, the cylindrical portion 55 is inserted throughthe bottom of the piston and into the interior of the valve with theover-hanging portions 58 of the cross-bar engaging oppositely disposedslots 59 in the wall of the valve and with the tool fully inserted thetop ledge of the cross-bar 56 is seated against the ledge 60 of thevalve. The valve having threaded engagement with the piston will, byrotation of the tool, be raised or lowered with respect to the ports 50thus giving any desired degree of opening for the passage of oil frombeneath the piston to the cylinder chamber above the piston.

The doors are opened in the usual manner through the intermediary of theactuating mechanism by manual operation of the lever l6. With the doorsin full open position the parts assume a position as indicated in Figure2.

The initial opening movement of the door compresses the longer spring 35and subsequent movement thereof compresses the shorter spring 36 becauseof it being seated against the face 60 of the cap 29. With the doors infull open position there is then available the combined storedup energyof the two springs to give the doors a quick start to closedpositionwhen the handle is released. For this opening movement of the doors,upward movement of the piston is unimpeded since the oil above same hasfree circulation from the cylinder chamber above the piston, throughports 46 in the rod to the interior chamber 45 in the rod, to thechamber 41 by way of the ball-valve 48, then through the hollow valve tothe space in the cylinder below the piston.

At this point it will be particularly noted, that since the pivotalconnection 4| between the lever B and the rod 23 is in line with thepivotal connections l0 and I2 of said lever, said pivotal point will becarried to substantially the highest point of the are followed byconnection with the lever and with the doors fully open the point 4|does not quite reach what may be .termed a dead center or lookingposition but is approximately and not more than degrees ofi the verticalcenterline of the pivotal support l2 for the lever 8 and this is animportant feature. When the lever I6 is released, both springs 35 and 36act together to give the door a relatively quick start or kick-off mentand subsequently, that is when the door is about three-quarters closed,the spring 35 becomes inert and the spring 35 acts by itself to completethe closure of the door.

The piston throughout the entire door opening movement does not have arange of movement which carries it above the oil level.

It will be noted here that, for movement of the doors from full openposition, the pivotal point 4| of the rod starts its cycle of movementfrom approximately the highest point of an imaginary arc so that eventhough movement of the doors from full open position to approximatelythreequarters closed position, is relatively long and rapid, the pistonmovement at the same time is short and consequently at a slow rate sothat there is practically no impedance to the door movement at thistime. However during the remaining and relatively short range movementof the doors to fully closed position the piston has at the same time arelatively longer range and faster rate of movement than at first andthis results in a substantially increased cushioning action whicheffectually prevents impact and slamming.

During this closing movement of the door in which case the piston ismoved downwardly in the cylinder, the oil passes from the cylinderchamber below the piston, through the hollow valve to chamber 41, thencethrough the restricted ports 50 to the cylinder chamber above thepiston. The oil at this time cannot pass from below the piston to thecylinder chamber above the piston by way of the chambers 41 and 45 andports 46 because the ball valve 48 becomes seated thereby to out 01fcommunication between the chambers 41 and 45 and in which case the onlypath for the circulation of oil is by way of the restricted ports 50.

From the description already given it will be seen that I have provideda regulating means for the cushioning means which is concealed whollywithin the cylinder casing so as to be inaccessible by any tool or otherinstrumentality whatsoever from without and in order to regulate thevalve the parts must be disassembled and the piston, together with therod 23 and springs, withdrawn from the cylinder and in such way thevalve is made accessible for adjustment by the specially made hand tool.Such construction and arrangement minimizes very greatly the possibilityof tampering.

It will be observed in connection with the construction of thecushioning or checking means, that the passages for the oil when flowingin both checking and non-checking directions are formed wholly by thereciprocating elements consisting of the piston and rod 23 connectingwith the door actuating mechanism and this construction permits the useof the plain shell-like cylinder instead of those now commonly usedwhich are provided with complicated and costly constructions to providea throttled by-pass for the passage of fluid around the piston.

The door actuating mechanism of the type herein shown and commonly usedfor two speed doors as well as the type used for single speed doors isprovided with what is called a rule-joint to prevent sagging of thetoggle-levers.

According to the present invention the use of the rule-joint iseliminated due to the fact that adjustment is made by the socket 40 sothat with the doors in closed position in which case the levers 6, 'land B are in alignment, the piston I9 is bottomed against the plug 25and in this manner sagging is effectually prevented.

By adjustment of the socket 49, the lever system with the doors closedmay be broken or out of parallelism in a reverse direction to that inwhich they are normally actuated to open the doors (see Figure 6) forwhich position thereof the piston is bottomed against the plug 25 sothat in efiect a locked condition exists so that the doors cannot beopened from the landing side. This arrangement is advantageous since itpermits a movement of the levers from the hoistway side, from the brokenposition as shown to a position which brings them in alignment as inFigure 1 and for which position thereof they still hold the doorslooked. Hence by such movement of the levers and without unlocking thedoors, the interlock switch mechanism is open-cirouited before the doorsare unlocked.

Conversely as the doors are closed, the lever mechanism assumes aposition to lock the doors and a further movement thereof to lookingposition closes the inter-lock switch mechanism. This arrangement allowsa relatively wide range of movement to actuate the inter-lock switchbefore the levers assume an unlocking position and which is notobtainable in similar devices wherein the levers remain in alignmentwith the door closed and the initial movement thereof to opencircuit theinter-lock switch throws them slightly out of alignment.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a door, actuating levers therefor, plural powerdevices of different effective length to move said door, a cylinder, apiston within said cylinder, said power devices contained within saidcylinder, and means operable from without said cylinder to adjust one ofsaid power devices.

2. In combination, a door, actuating levers therefor, a cylinder, apiston within said cylinder operatively connected to said levers, pluraltelescoped springs within said cylinder tending to maintain said pistonat the end of said cylinder, one normally under compression and onenormally inert with said door in closed position, and means to adjustsaid spring which is normally under compression.

3. In combination, a hoistway sliding door, a system of interconnectedtoggle levers for actuating said door, one end of said system beingattached to the door and the other end being fixedly pivoted andattached to thedoor frame, an electric switch having an interlockingfunction operatively attached to the said system of toggle levers at apoint close to the said fixed pivot and means for cushioning said doorattached to said system of toggle levers, the said cushioning meansserving to support said system of toggle levers upon closure of saiddoor in such manner that the system is broken beyond its dead centerposition, thereby effecting an increased operative stroke of saidelectric switch.

4. In combination, a horizontally sliding door, a system ofinterconnected toggle levers for actuating said door, each of saidlevers being pivotally'attaohed at their ends, the lever at one end ofsaid system being attached to the door and the lever at the opposite endof said system being fixedly pivoted and attached at one end to the doorframe, a piston and cylinder cushioning device also pivoted to said doorframe below said fixed pivot, a piston rod attached to said piston andpivoted to said fixedly pivoted lever at a point intermediate andsubstantially in line with its two end pivots whereby said point passesthrough said door approaches its closed with solid walls, a pistonoperating in said cylinder provided with at least one adjustable passagefor fluids, a. spring within said cylinder tending to hold said pistonat onevend of the cylinder and a second spring coaxial with said firstspring becoming operative only duringv the stroke of said piston and.then tending to return said piston to the same end ofisaid cylinder.

6. In combination, a sliding door, a system of interconnected togglelevers for actuating said door, a piston and cylinder device operativelyattached to said system of toggle levers for cushioning the operation ofsaid door, and two coaxial springs of' difierent length within saidcylinder tending to close said door, the longer spring being effectivethroughout the length of the piston stroke, the shorter spring being ofsuch length as to become effective only during the time said door isbetween its three quarter and open positions.

CHARLES E. HAMIMELL.

